Members of 4Culture's Board of Directors, photographed by Youth in Focus's Kari C. and Duy H.

Every arts and heritage organization relies on dedicated, willing volunteers for a host of tasks that are essential to fulfilling the mission of the organization they serve.

This message is a “THANK YOU” to all of those people who quietly toil to bring cultural experiences to life.

You are Board members, ushers, docents.   If you volunteer with a small arts or heritage organization, you may entirely run the organization.  You are tutors, art instructors, heritage exhibit designers, community choruses.  You are marketing and development interns, errand runners, work party volunteers.

In the case of 4Culture, you are the fifteen members of our Board of Directors; the thirty one members of our four standing advisory committees; the scores of jurors who serve on funding panels and dozens of panelists who help us select artists for opportunities such as Gallery4Culture exhibits, e4c, the Public Art Artist Registry, the Touring Arts Roster and Site Specific performances.

Washington lost a true champion of arts and heritage last Friday. Senator Scott White, one of the prime forces behind the passage of SB 5834 in the 2011 legislative session, passed away last Friday at the age of 41.  Senator White leaves behind two young children and his wife, Alison.

I first met Scott years ago when he was a policy analyst for the King County Council. He later became the Council’s chief of staff. In 2002, Scott helped shepherd the county legislation that transitioned the King County Office of Cultural Resources into the Cultural Development Authority of King County, now doing business as 4Culture.  He took great pride in the role he played in that achievement.

In 2008, he ran for and won a seat in the State House of Representatives from the 46th legislative District, which happens to be my district.  Two years later, he ran for and won a seat in the state Senate, following the retirement of Sen. Ken Jacobson. Despite his freshman status, Scott was elected the Senate Majority Whip by the Senate Democratic caucus. He worked closely with King County leadership on a remarkable economic development bill in 2011 that came up one vote short of passage, but certainly not by lack of effort by Senator White. When it became clear in the closing hours of the 2011 session that the large economic development bill would not get that single necessary vote it needed in the Senate, Senator Scott White, Senator Ed Murray, and others, sponsored SB 5834 with the single objective of saving arts and heritage funding in King County. Scott introduced the critical amendment to Senator Murray’s bill that assured the bill’s passage in the House.

I am proud to have been able to call Scott my Senator. He will be greatly missed. On behalf of 4Culture, our sincere condolences to his wife and family.

Jim Kelly

© 2011, Senator Scott White, Washington State Senate Democrats

Last night, June 28th, we finally got a chance to celebrate the passage of the lodging tax legislation, SB 5834, with many of our friends and colleagues at the fabulous Paramount Theatre.  It was a truly magical evening.

View a full slideshow of the festivities. Photos by NonFiction Media

I was reminded over the course of the evening how important it is for the cultural community to come together, renew friendships and enjoy each other’s company.  “You should do this more often,” a refrain I heard repeatedly last night and today.

It was wonderful to see key elected officials mingle and converse with our crowd, filled with heritage specialists, preservationists, artists and enthusiastic citizens.  King County Executive Dow Constantine, Councilmember Larry Phillips, Speaker of the House Frank Chopp, Sen. Scott White, Rep. Ross Hunter and Sen. Ed Murray, former Rep. Louise Miller and current Board President, Dale Smith, all took a few moments to share remarks with the assembly.  We acknowledged our gratitude for the grass roots efforts of the citizen advocacy group, Advocate4Culture.  Their tireless efforts to encourage activism paid off in spades during the legislative session.  They did what public employees like me cannot do.

No party would be complete without entertainment and last night we showcased a small sample of the talented performers who bring art to the public in so many ways.  The lineup included percussionist Paul Kikuchi; the Seattle Youth Symphony Contrasts Ensemble; Abdoulaye Sylla and Message from Guinea; violinist Quinton Morris; two young poets, Slwan Logman and Hamda Yusuf from Chief Sealth High School International Poetry Club; Lucia Neare’s spectacular ensemble of cats, clocks, rabbits and horses who comprise her Theatrical Wonders; the Seattle SeaChordsmen an  acappella vocal group; and world music duo Correo Aereo.  They couldn’t have been more engaging and entertaining.   I hate to rub it in, but if you weren’t there you missed a great party.  Kudos to Josh LaBelle and his terrific staff for the use of the stunning historic Paramount Theatre.

The party is over, but the sweet hangover remains.  I can’t get the thought out of my mind that maybe, just maybe, we’ve reached a turning point.   Last night, I was in a room in which the possibilities seemed limitless.   There was a palpable sense that the collective “we” were responsible for this success.  Somewhere in the past several months, we passed a threshold from passive resignation that our fate was in the hands of others to active engagement with the knowledge that we could influence the decisions that determine the way culture is perceived and supported.

After a legislative session that was more difficult than any in recent memory, it was clear that the elected officials in the room were proud to have delivered this legislation and pleased to feel appreciated and recognized by the crowd.  This may be a game-changing moment.  What shall we do with it?

Photos © 2011 Scott Squire, NonFiction Media, nonfictionmedia.com

I suppose it was inevitable, given the dimensions of the state’s budget deficit, that the legislature would be unable to adopt a biennial budget in 105 days – and so here we are, in the less-charted waters of “special session.” I am now asked fairly frequently about the status of HB 1997 or SB 5834, the two bills introduced in the regular session that would fund 4Culture’s programs into the future. Are they going to continue to be vetted in special session?

I can tell you that yes, both bills are alive and will be considered as the special session moves forward.

During the regular session, it is easy to track a bill’s progress. The legislature’s website is very user friendly with frequent updates posted immediately after action is taken. It’s a model for transparency and open government. And we’ve spent the last three and a half months paying close attention to the doings in Olympia, attending hearings, meeting with legislators. But now we’re on hold. It is difficult to know what to expect in a special session, as the regular “how a bill becomes a law” process is often thrown out with the bathwater. Thus, my standard response to how I’m feeling is that I’m not optimistic, but I’m not pessimistic either. I am patiently waiting for news to emerge that will give us some sign.

I had hoped that 4Culture’s future would be known by the end of April, and the end of regular session. But I continue to be encouraged that both bills are alive and remain under consideration.

We’ll keep you posted.

Jim Kelly

Still of the Washington State Legislature © 2011 TVW – Washington State Public Affairs Network

SHB 1997 was heard in Executive Session of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, but did not get the 12 signatures it needed to move to Senate Rules and eventually to the Senate floor.  It was an unexpected outcome precipitated by the absences of two Senators from the vote, late Friday afternoon. Meanwhile SB 5834, was not considered in the Executive Session of the House Ways and Means, and therefore was not voted on. Technically speaking, both of these bills “died” on Friday.

So where does that leave us? There’s an old saying in Olympia that “nothing is dead until the legislature adjourns.”  There are three weeks left until the end of the regular session in Olympia.

UPDATE: Yesterday afternoon, the House Ways and Means Committee amended their proposed budget, with a package of changes, including declaring SHB 1997 “Necessary to Implement the Budget” (NTIB).  This kind of action is often taken by legislators at the 11th hour of the session to continue to work on bills they care about. This amendment keeps SHB 1997 in play until the budget is passed.   The bill will likely be amended and it’s difficult to predict what the provisions of the bill will look like in final form.  But for now SHB 1997 is no longer “dead” and will continue to be heard and vetted by the state legislature.

This post was edited on 4/7/11 to insert the UPDATE.

SHB 1997 was heard in Executive Session of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, but did not get the 12 signatures it needed to move to Senate Rules and eventually to the Senate floor.  It was an unexpected outcome precipitated by the absences of two Senators from the vote, late Friday afternoon. Meanwhile SB 5834, was not considered in the Executive Session of the House Ways and Means, and therefore was not voted on. Technically speaking, both of these bills “died” on Friday.

So where does that leave us? There’s an old saying in Olympia that “nothing is dead until the legislature adjourns.”  There are three weeks left until the end of the regular session in Olympia.

UPDATE: Yesterday afternoon, the House Ways and Means Committee amended their proposed budget, with a package of changes, including declaring SHB 1997 “Necessary to Implement the Budget” (NTIB).  This kind of action is often taken by legislators at the 11th hour of the session to continue to work on bills they care about. This amendment keeps SHB 1997 in play until the budget is passed.   The bill will likely be amended and it’s difficult to predict what the provisions of the bill will look like in final form.  But for now SHB 1997 is no longer “dead” and will continue to be heard and vetted by the state legislature.

This post was edited on 4/7/11 to insert the UPDATE.

It has recently come to my attention that I am part of the problem. 
I am a public sector employee.

Twenty-five years ago, I began employment with the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, managing a Community Arts Development Program that brought federal Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funds to low-income census tracts for small arts-related capital projects.  HUD officials were trying new ways to stabilize some of the poorest and most troubled inner city housing projects and neighborhoods by supporting small theatre companies, dance and visual art classes that offered kids creative ways to explore their own creativity.

I remember a volunteer dance instructor in Jamaica, Queens telling me “if we don’t give kids something constructive to do, they will find ways to be destructive.”  She applied for and received a small grant to install mirrors and barres in a bare room she used for teaching, because she wanted her students to feel like they were taking a real dance class.

I believe we have a societal obligation to ensure that everyone has access to those things that give potential for success: education, employment, relevant cultural activities.  In a caring society, this is how we measure our greatness.  This is a democracy.  In a democracy, we understand that it is most efficient to work together, establish mechanisms for accountability and pool our resources to achieve our common goals.  That is the promise of the public sector.  We may not get it right every time, but we simply must curtail the rhetoric that would strip us of this basic feature of democracy: public works.

Twenty-five years ago, at places like Harlem School for the Arts, Boys Choir of Harlem, Jamaica Arts Center and Bronx Council of the Arts, I saw young people totally immersed in all sorts of creative endeavors.  I see it today in our community at places like Arts Corps, Jack Straw, Youth in Focus and the Vera Project. Wanting to play an instrument, dance, sing, act, draw, sculpt or paint are human aspirations.  The basic hunger to express ourselves freely is a defining human characteristic, the perfection of which is a source of immense power.

Public sector support requires these opportunities be accessible to underserved communities. Should that access disappear?

When I took that job in New York so long ago, I did not intend to make public sector employment a career.  I didn’t even bother to enroll in the city retirement system.  I actually thought I’d do it for a year or two to demonstrate that I was suitable to work in an office, so I wouldn’t have to do construction work to support myself between gigs as an actor.   Having been in the trades, I know how draining it can be.  That is why it is important to me that people who labor to keep our communities functioning are equally able to access cultural activities.  Grants that allow organizations to offer free and discounted tickets, and support public access to facilities are some of the ways we’ve found to address issues of equity and social justice.

As it turns out, I now have had a 25-year career in public administration. I stayed in public administration because I saw my work having an impact and I felt real satisfaction when I saw kids blossom because they were given a chance to learn something about themselves and to excel.

Am I part of the problem or the solution?

Jim Kelly

Back2School Bash, Southeast Seattle Community Youth Orchestra © 2010 Kyle Ploessl

As an update to my January Letter from the Director, on January 14, the organization ArtsFund released its latest Economic Impact study of arts and culture in the Puget Sound.  The study looked at arts and cultural activity in King, Snohomish, Pierce and Kitsap counties.  The numbers are impressive.

Focusing on King County alone, “…in 2009 $1.75 billion in business activity was generated in the Washington economy due to spending by King County arts, cultural, and scientific organizations, and spending by their patrons.  This business activity supported 29,165 jobs, and $798 million in labor income, and resulted in $78 million in sales, business and occupation (B&O) taxes, and hotel-motel room taxes. Spending by cultural organization patrons totaled $628 million, with tickets and admissions accounting for $210 million of these expenditures. Income of arts, cultural, and scientific organizations were $415 million in 2009, while they spent $408 million providing these services. Income of arts, cultural, and scientific organizations were $415 million in 2009, while they spent $408 million providing programs, productions, exhibits and services.”

The larger economic impact number of $1.75 billion represents the multiplying impact of these direct expenditures.  For example, a theatre company building sets shops at local lumber yard; the wood may have been milled elsewhere and transported to the local yard.  There is a ripple effect way beyond the direct expenditures of the cultural organization.

Here is a link to the complete study.  And thank you, ArtsFund for this timely data.

Photo courtesy of Ola Czechowska

You are most certainly aware that the task for legislators in Olympia this year to pass a balanced budget will be daunting. I won’t recap some of the highlights of the Governor’s budget proposal. Much has already been written about the potential impact of the budget on programs impacting the cultural sector statewide. There is little comfort in the knowledge that culture is not being singled out. The recession has reduced state revenues to the point that many essential social, human and education services cannot be adequately funded.

In this environment, does it even make sense for 4Culture to ask the legislature to fund arts and heritage in King County?

My answer is an emphatic, “yes!” Let’s dispel the myth that funding culture means we have less for social services. In fact, the opposite is true. Arts and heritage are an economic engine, not a hand-out; they directly provide thousands of jobs and indirectly, thousands more. They are a key component of the tourism sector, drawing visitors to our region. After the Picasso exhibit closes at Seattle Art Museum, we’ll get a clearer picture of the economic impact of this three-month event. Judging from my two visits to Picasso and seeing first-hand the crowds that packed the galleries, I think it will be most impressive. Shortly, ArtsFund will release data from its most recent Economic Impact survey, which undoubtedly will confirm that attendance at arts events and ancillary spending contribute millions to the local economy and generate millions in tax revenues to the state.

As for the future of the lodging taxes distributed by 4Culture for arts and heritage in King County? It is in the hands of the legislature. Securing lodging tax revenues for arts and heritage in King County in the 2011 session will have no impact on the state’s biennial budget. None. Legislation sponsored in the last several years simply asks the state to give 4Culture permission to spend down its endowment over a period of seven years, with the promise of a small portion of lodging taxes being re-authorized for culture in 2021 to sustain the program after 2021. It’s a bet on the future. It’s a simple message.

Will a simple message be heard in the “noise” that will dominate this session? Will legislators be willing to look ahead to what we can all only hope will be better times?

I think they will. In the last couple of years the House and Senate have passed bills that fund arts and heritage. They just haven’t passed the same bill yet.

Now the clock is running out. I’m confident that the sun will not set on arts, heritage and preservation in King County.

Image: Lucia Neare’s Lullaby Moon, photo by Michael Doucett

It’s simple, really. Especially this time of year. Buy a ticket; attend a performance, reading or exhibition. Take your family and/or friends. Sharing experiences creates lasting memories that live long beyond the usefulness of any stuff you might be getting/giving this holiday season.

Years ago, when my children were two and six years old, we went out to Snoqualmie to ride the Santa Train, Northwest Railway Museum’s holiday tradition. It was a cold Saturday afternoon, before Christmas. The train traveled from the historic Snoqualmie Depot to the North Bend Depot, where Santa and his helpers greeted the departing passengers with candy canes and hot chocolate, before the children got to talk to Santa about their Christmas wishes. There was something about taking the train to Santa’s “workshop” in North Bend that made the Santa experience more real, enjoyable and memorable for the entire family. I have no memory of what my son and daughter received for Christmas that year, but none of us have ever forgotten our train trip to the North Pole.

One of the benefits of having such a diverse and vibrant cultural community is the plethora of options available to you to create these memorable experiences especially during the holiday season, from the Kwanzaa Festivals of Light at Seattle Children’s Museum to Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Nutcracker (or Evergreen City Ballet’s Nutcracker or International Ballet Theatre’s Nutcracker. In fact, why not try all three?) 

My son sang in the Northwest Boychoir for years and an annual Kelly family tradition was the choir’s Festival of Lessons and Carols at Benaroya Hall (and several other venues throughout December.)

Every day at this time of year, I receive several emails about holiday concerts, performances, exhibits by the organizations we serve.  There are dozens I could list for you, here are just a few recommendations of things you might like to check out this December. If we’ve forgotten a favorite tradition or event we shouldn’t miss, please feel free to tell us about it in the comment field below.

Intiman’s Black Nativity - this year moving to the larger Moore Theatre to accommodate the audiences responding to the popularity of this annual offering.

You’ve probably seen the movie A Christmas Story, which usually plays all day on Christmas Eve. This year, the 5^th Avenue Theatre mounts a musical version of this recent film classic.

Taproot Theatre is producing a new work by Seattle playwright John Longenbaugh (postponed from last year due to the Greenwood arsons), Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Christmas Carol. Maybe this locally grown show will become one of the new holiday classics.

Israeli jazz musician Mattan Klein will perform a free concert on Tuesday, December 7 at 7pm at Temple B’nai Torah.

The Seattle Children’s Museum hosts Festivals of Light: Exploring Kwanzaa December 22. Traditions in this celebration include lighting a kinara which represents the seven principles of Kwanzaa.

“Coming “Home” for Hanukkah,” a community-wide Hanukkah celebration at the Stroum Jewish Community Center on Mercer Island will provide a fun and entertaining cultural experience on December 5 from 11am-2pm.

Or if you’re looking for non-holiday local event to check out, head down to Burien Little Theater this Saturday December 4^th for a free 1-hour performance of Women’s Votes, Women’s Voices by Book-it Repertory Theater, (produced by 4Culture’s Heritage program!)

You don’t need my help in finding something that will appeal to your holiday spirit and in doing so, you’ll be sustaining the best cultural community in the country.

Jim Kelly

Civil societies commit to achieving a dignified quality of life for all, whatever it takes.  In the US, the public sector is the way we put the systems in place that allow us all to thrive.   I am proud to be a public sector employee, even though 4Culture is not technically a government agency.

I don’t have to tell you that cities, counties and states are struggling to merely keep afloat as revenues dwindle and expenses rise.   It’s all over the news.  You and your families are already feeling the effects.

But I must speak up about an unacceptable trend I am witnessing: I’m seeing an increase in public sector leaders who seem comfortable framing arts and culture as “extra” or “fluff” – a luxury that we can trim during tough economic times.

No. No. No.

Public sector investment in arts and culture represents our collective commitment to strengthening the conditions that allow our unique local cultures to thrive.

Every day in the public sector, plans and policies are being implemented that will affect our future for decades to come.  We cannot afford to leave our humanity behind in this work.  This is systemic work.  We must have the systemic capacity to take the soul of our communities into account.

• The Washington State Arts Commission has absorbed a 40% cut in the last two years.  It will be further reduced if an across-the-boards budget cut of 7% is applied to every state agency, as proposed by Governor Gregoire.
• Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn’s 2011 budget proposal will result in reductions to the programs and activities of the Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs.
• The City of Bellevue may radically reduce or eliminate the grants program of the Bellevue Arts Commission.   In our bi-monthly meetings of the King County Local Arts Agency network, we are hearing similar stories from suburban cities throughout the county.
• Regional public art programs are also  reporting extra scrutiny over their modest % for art allocations.

The community-based arts and culture projects supported through the public sector represent the best of who we are and where we are headed.  These are the projects that leverage powerful grassroots networks of communities helping each other achieve the dignities we all deserve.  These are the projects that take the time to understand our local history to inform where we are headed.  These are the projects that establish facilities and institutions where powerful local voices are nurtured.  These are the projects that build trust among neighbors, keep us connected and innovative as we move forward to find creative solutions.  These are the projects that with a relatively small investment return invaluable intrinsic rewards of resilience, health, pride and innovation.  These are the projects that can keep kids out of the justice system.  These are the projects we desperately need and are increasingly in demand during tough times.

Every expense of government is being scrutinized.  We’re all being forced to take a hard look at our priorities.

I am by no means suggesting that arts and culture should be exempt from the realities of government revenue challenges.  Arts and culture are resilient; artists and arts and heritage practitioners are creative problem solvers.   We all know we’ll have to share the squeeze and we’ll be motivated to collaborate even more than we already do.

But it is unacceptable to be singled out as less important that other public sector services and responsibilities.  It is a false choice to pit support for arts and culture against social services, for example. An impressive body of evidence demonstrates the correlation between health and social networks, between health and possessing a valued identity.

At 4Culture, we are committed to strengthening our coordination with regional public health and social justice initiatives. Arts and culture investment is a vital upstream solution to many of the social ills burdening our collective society.

4Culture’s budget is dependent on two designated revenue sources, the county’s capital budget for 1% for Art and Lodging taxes for our grant programs.  Lodging taxes are down 4% in 2010 after experiencing a 17% decline in 2009. Capital projects have been delayed or postponed, resulting in reduced revenue for county public art projects.   The only county general fund dollars that come to 4Culture are for stewardship of the 2,000 piece county art collection.   Will those dollars survive the budget process?

1973 was a watershed year for the arts in our region and there are lessons to be learned from it.  King County, the City of Seattle and Washington State all adopted public art ordinances that year.   The early seventies was another time of government budget challenges.   The famous billboard asking, “Will the last person leaving Seattle, please turn out the lights?” was put up in 1971. Despite the angst expressed in that billboard, visionary leaders at the time made a bold statement about the value of the arts by developing legislation that codified a commitment to the future, that said when we build public facilities, we will take the opportunity to express who we are and what we value by the inclusion of public art.

This is not the time to throw investment in our humanity under the bus.

Jim Kelly

P.S.   Congratulations to my friend and colleague Michael Killoren, who has accepted a position with the NEA in Washington, D.C.   Michael will be the new director of the NEA’s Local Arts Agencies and Challenge America Fast Track.   I have known Michael since he arrived in Seattle from St. Louis lo these many years ago.  We worked together at the King County Arts Commission, before he moved on to become the first Director of Cultural Tourism at the Seattle Convention and Visitors Bureau.  And I’ve tipped a glass or two with him as we’ve shared our respective experiences navigating the politics of the public sector.   I’ll miss him, but I am pleased that he will be in a position to steer lots of federal dollars our way.

At a time when public sector budgets are strained and badly in need of re-booting, when every bit of public spending is under intense scrutiny, it is easy to weigh investment in health and human services, for example, against funding for arts and culture.  Over my long career in the arts, I’ve heard the mantra repeatedly, “How can we justify spending on the arts when people are homeless?”  Believe me, given the current levels of state, city and county spending on the arts, even if every culture dollar was reallocated for housing, we would not end homelessness.  One should not be pitted against the other.  A civil society is characterized by its ability to adopt policies and make investments that alleviate suffering, while at the same time encouraging activity that breeds increased creativity and economic growth.

The arts have long claimed to be an economic engine.  There is ample evidence that the arts, heritage and culture spur increased economic activity.  Economic impact studies conducted in our region over the past fifteen years quantify the jobs created and spending that results from attendance at festivals and theater, music and dance events, not to mention the inherent personal benefits to be gained by gathering with your friends and neighbors for a shared cultural experience.

Now we have further evidence of the unique role the arts play in community development. Storefronts Seattle, a collaboration between The Alliance for Pioneer Square, Chinatown-International District Business Improvement Area, the Seattle Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs and Department of Planning and Development, the Seattle Chinatown-International District Preservation and Development Authority, and Shunpike, will be launched on Thursday, September 2nd.  Note that this is a partnership of economic development, community development, businesses and the arts.   All public sector investments in the arts advance multiple community interests.  That’s why we should support the arts, no matter how serious our social problems.  (Disclaimer: I must confess, I also would advocate support for “the arts for arts sake”, but that’s another message.)

Storefronts Seattle is one of those simple, low-cost ideas that are good for artists, landlords and neighborhoods.  It is based on the obvious premise that occupied street level space is better than vacant space with brown paper covered windows, loudly announcing “no one wants this space in this neighborhood.”  It’s not unlike the rationale for the half price ticket booth in Times Square (TKTS): a seat filled by a patron paying 50% of the ticket price is better than an empty seat.

Initially, Storefronts Seattle is focused on the Chinatown-International District and Pioneer Square, two neighborhoods with their share of vacant retail space, emblematic of these difficult times.   It will modestly begin with ten storefronts, but it is easy to see the idea taking hold in additional spaces and in other neighborhoods such as Capitol Hill and Belltown and suburban cities.  The spaces are donated by property owners on a short-term basis, one to three months.  The artists know it’s not forever; if a space is leased to a paying tenant, the artists will have to vacate.  In the meantime, they have access to free space to display, sell and even create work.  The landlords showcase their properties and support creative businesses, which may evolve into long-term tenants. The look of the street is improved by activating vacant space.  The neighborhood experiences increased foot traffic and changes its identity from “distressed” to “cool.”

Why haven’t we done this before now?

With a little imagination and creativity, Storefronts Seattle attacks a vexing problem at very little cost to the city, artists or businesses.  It demonstrates once again the value of the arts in the civic environment.  September 2^nd is First Thursday in Pioneer Square and Jam Fest in the Chinatown-International District.  The artist storefront spaces will be open.  You can find a map to the various spaces at www.storefrontsseattle.com.   Just another great opportunity to get out, patronize local businesses and discover new places.

Artist John Fleming takes a first look at his new storefront space © 2010, Eliza S. Rankin

The survey respondents wanted opportunities to gather with colleagues to learn about effective ways to navigate significant change.  Dynamic Adaptability: Arts and Culture in the Puget Sound, a three part series of talks and workshops by national “thought leaders” that concluded this past Monday at Town Hall, was created in response.

I thoroughly enjoyed the three presentations by Clara Miller of the Non-Profit Facilities Fund, Chip Heath, author of Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard and Doug McLennan, founder of Arts Journal.   If you were unable to attend any or all of the talks, materials from the presentations are available on the Grantmakers in the Arts website (www.giarts.org).

• Clara Miller made some observations about the importance of access to working capital, noting that funders make it easier to raise money for high risk activities (i.e. capital projects and program expansion,), than for low-risk investments like program continuation, overhead or maintenance. .  While no one would argue that having reserves for program expansion and facility maintenance makes good business sense, in the current economic environment, which is impacting funders as well as organizations, where those reserves would come from is unclear.
• Chip Heath spoke about how organizations seem to resist change when in fact they don’t know how or what to change, and gave specific tips on how to make change easier.  My favorite take-away from Chip’s talk was the simple concept of following the “bright spots.”   Build on what works well for you now, rather than get bogged down in saving programs that aren’t working.
• Doug McLennan spoke about technology as a tool for connecting to audiences, but he also talked about how the internet continues to evolve how  people engage with their communities, and organizations connect with constituents..   We’re all hell-bent on getting followers and fans onFacebook or Twitter, but too often do so without a clear plan for what we want to achieve with regard to our organizational goals.   Doug’s presentation will be posted on the GIA website soon, and I encourage you to check out his five basic principles for thriving in the new technology environment.

To me, the value of these presentations went beyond the content that was provided.   Each of the three sessions was attended by more than 100 arts administrators from throughout the Puget Sound.   We have too few opportunities to gather with our colleagues and simply talk to each other about how and what we’re doing.   If you missed the talks, I encourage you to go to check out the free content on the GIA website.

The four funders and Philanthropy Northwest, Helicon Collaborative and GIA will be meeting soon to debrief on the series and determine future steps, if any.    We all remain concerned about the health of the field and will continue to explore ways in which we can collectively support our dynamic cultural communities.

Here are a few observations on the state of the field in these trying times, as revealed by the Sustained Support applications:

• Cultural organizations adapt. Almost every applicant arts organization had a budget that was lower in 2009 than in 2008, but in most cases, lower budgets did not cause organizations to abandon education outreach programs, implement mass layoffs or substantially reduce programs and productions. Management skillfully and strategically made hard choices to ensure operations would continue. Many arts and heritage groups have always had few resources and have learned a multitude of ways to cope.
• The field of culture has dedicated volunteers, who respond to financial challenges by increasing their participation. Every group needs more of them. If volunteers don’t have money to contribute, they do have time. Board members are particularly stepping up to help fill part-time staff positions at many organizations.
• Individuals are still the most potent and reliable source of contributed income. Always have been, always will be. Courting individual donors is hard work, but it pays off long and short-term. One organization tripled its number of individual givers, albeit with many making smaller donations.   But when the economy turns around, and it will, those new donors may be a bonanza.
• Audience behavior has changed. Subscriptions are down, single ticket buying is up.  Audiences are purchasing tickets closer to dates of performances or exhibitions. Organizations are responding to the challenge, by adapting their marketing and budgeting processes to follow buying trends.
• Optimism triumphs. The economy is in the pits. That’s a given. Hardly worth a mention. And many applicants hardly mentioned it. They focused instead on the many positive adjustments they were making and the efficiencies they were implementing and wondered why they hadn’t explored these opportunities earlier. No one is throwing in the towel.

If the economic crisis has a silver lining, it’s that it released the creativity of management, staff, boards, artists and heritage specialists to figure out how to best serve audiences. Every administrative, production or exhibition expense is under the microscope. In the long run, that’s not an altogether bad thing.

Jim Kelly

Washington Hall House Party
May 1 – 2, 2010

What’s one hundred and two years old, rejuvenated and set to embark on its next decades of service to the Central District and Squire Park neighborhoods and to artists and arts organizations seeking venues for presenting their work?  Well, of course it’s Washington Hall, the 1908 Danish Brotherhood Lodge 29, built originally as a settlement house and gathering place for Danish immigrants.  Many of you know Washington Hall as the first home of On the Boards, the region’s premier contemporary performance presenter, which occupied the Hall from 1978 to 1998, when it moved to Behnke Center for Contemporary Performance in lower Queen Anne.

After On the Boards vacated the building, Washington Hall began a slow decline, never finding a stable long-term tenant who could generate sufficient income for the building’s owners to adequately maintain the aging structure.   In 2006, Washington Hall faced the wrecking ball.  A commercial real estate developer made an offer to buy the building for the value of its land, planning to demolish the Hall to make way for new condominiums. Out with the old, in with the new?  Not this time!   Historic Seattle and 4Culture, with encouragement from Stephanie Ellis Smith, then Director of CD Forum, approached the building’s owners, the Sons of Haiti, an African American fraternal lodge, with a plan to save the building.  Our community is fortunate to have a dedicated preservation organization with the experience, skill, vision and courage to take on a project as potentially perilous as saving Washington Hall.  Kudos to Historic Seattle.

Washington Hall pulses with history.  Now we invite you to celebrate its rebirth.  On May 1st and 2nd, after many months of advocacy, planning and building stabilization – 4Culture and Historic Seattle are delighted to invite you to a FREE community celebration and grand re-opening for Washington Hall.  The two-day party will bring together Seattle’s arts, preservation and heritage communities. This beloved community center will once again be filled with music, dance and theater from a diverse array of artists.  Stop by and see Washington Hall in action.

Bring cash for Dante’s Inferno hotdogs and veggie sausages, cheap brews/wine and your very own Washington Hall t-shirt and poster.

Read a preview in the Seattle Times, “Washington Hall, Seattle’s cultural Ellis Island, reopens with a house party

Join us!

Saturday May 1, 7-11PM:

7 pm – The hall opens with a jazz set featuring local legend Hadley Caliman and his jazz quintet

8 pm – A showcase of local dance, theater and music
• Lori Larsen
• Black Stax
• Richard Svensson
• Dayna Hanson with Dave Proscia, Paul Moore and Maggie Brown, and special guest Shannon Stewart
• Jim Kent, Mark Haim & Ben Maestas
• Cristina Orbé

9:30PM – Hidmo Entertainment Presents: Live @ Washington Hall, a collaborative jam featuring Central District all-stars:
• Audio Couture
• Sukutai (Zimbabwean drum & dance)
• Laura “Piece” Kelly
• Yirim Seck
• JusMoni
• Brothers from Another

Emcee, Felicia Loud
House DJ, Vitamin D

Sunday, May 2nd, 1 – 4PM
Fun for the whole family, music, storytelling, heritage activities and dancing with:
• Alley Oop
• Savoy Swing
• Casey MacGill’s Blue 4 Trio
• Kibibi Monié (Nu Black Arts West Theatre)
• Jimmy and Grace Holden

The Washington hall House Party is presented by Historic Seattle & 4Culture, in association with Hidmo Entertainment

Lead support provided by
KeyBank, The Boeing Company, RAFN Company

Additional support from provided by
SMR Architects and Coughlin Porter Lundeen

Historic Seattle and 4Culture thank our in-kind supporters for the Washington Hall House Party
KBCS 91.3FM Community Radio, The Stranger, Georgetown Brewing Company, Caffé Vita, Jackstraw, J&J Music, The Nordic Heritage Museum, KidsQwest, and many many volunteers!

As I write this, the 2010 state legislative session is in overtime, with legislators battling over the revised 2010 budget, grappling with a $2.9 million deficit.   Does the legislature “enhance revenues,” as the Senate prefers, or cut programs more deeply, as the House prefers?  This is the conversation and debate that is keeping the legislature in Olympia.

Bills in the House and Senate that would designate a portion of future lodging taxes (which don’t go away, no matter what the legislature decides to do with them after stadium debt is retired) for cultural programs in King County have stalled once again, but not because legislators are anti-art.   On the contrary.   The arts and heritage piece runs into very little opposition and has remained unchanged in all permutations of the bill(s).   Unfortunately, there hasn’t been support for an arts/heritage-only bill, so arts and heritage funding is contingent on funding for affordable housing, stadium maintenance, cultural development authorities, public health, human services, tourism promotion, youth sports and on and on and on.   Too many things are lumped into the bills creating too many opportunities for legislators to say “no.”  Some want stadium maintenance, but not affordable housing, given the sources of the tax revenues (“visitor taxes.”)   Others want affordable housing, but don’t want more public funds going to stadiums at a time when so many other services are being cut. Still others oppose extending restaurant and car rental taxes and certainly the two state sales tax credits after Qwest and Safeco debts are retired – these are not the taxes that 4Culture uses, but have been wrapped into these bills, making for another point of contention.

So for the sixth consecutive year, it is unlikely that bills securing funding for arts and heritage in King County in the future will pass the House and Senate this year.

The current revenue stream ends on December 31, 2012.   This will have unfortunate consequences for arts and heritage organizations in 2011.  Here’s why.

The lodging industry has been hit hard by the recession.   Occupancy rates are down, so in order to attract customers, room rates have been lowered as well.  That’s a double whammy for 4Culture.   Obviously, fewer taxes are collected when rates are lower and fewer rooms are booked.   Funding we received from lodging taxes in 2009 were down 17% in comparison to 2008.  So far in 2010, lodging tax collection is down another 18%.   That may change as the year progresses, since we only have numbers for January and February, but I don’t expect a  miraculous turnaround before the end of the year.

The way our funding programs operate is unusual for a government entity.  A government’s 2010 general fund budget is based on revenues the government expects to collect in 2010.  That’s why, when there is an unexpected downturn, governments scramble mid-year to correct the budget, to find additional cuts to absorb the impact of decreased revenues.   But 4Culture collects revenues in one year and allocates them for grant expenditures the next year.   The monies that we award in 2010 are based on the actual revenues collected in 2009.

We knew by mid-2009 that 2010 would be a tough year.   Without any intervention, our grant funding this year would have been devastated.   We are almost entirely holding the line in our key programs in 2009 in comparison to 2008, due to several one-time actions taken by 4Culture staff and Board. The Board allocated interest income and reserves, reduced operating expenses in 2009, and imposed staff furloughs and other restrictions as part of the 2010 budget, just like many of your organizations.  We also re-captured $260,000 in project awards more than three years old that for one reason or another were not going forward.

These measures allowed us to cobble together enough funds to maintain dollars necessary for Sustained Support and Individual Artist projects at 2009 funding  levels.   We are not likely going to be able to run a facilities construction projects program until late in the year at best, or support a second cycle of equipment funding, but we have been able to keep dollars for other programs. We are seeing record numbers of applications in some areas – up 25% in Arts Sustained Support applications – so there’s no question that this year, more than ever, resources are scarce.

For 2011, however, just like your businesses, we have no more rabbits to pull out of our hat. We’ve looked under every rock for revenue, and  already re-captured all the project awards that we feel confident won’t go forward.

Most important, it is unlikely that we  would use our remaining reserves to plug the hole.  We now must begin planning for a future that does not include annual lodging taxes for arts and heritage.  That future, having access only to interest income beginning in 2013, means that the only responsible position is to put every possible dollar aside and not program any interest income in 2011 or 2012. We have a $10 million dollar a year business with thousands of outstanding grants to wind down, and no more capacity to continue awarding funds we will be unable to monitor.

Had legislation passed in 2010, we would have had a different outlook, a greater willingness to use reserves now, knowing that new revenues would be available in the future.

What will 4Culture’s mission be in 2013, when funding for all of its programs and activities is 80% lower than it is today?   How will our Public Art division function, if it has to be the primary tenant in the Kaplan building and there are no more shared costs?

That’s the conversation we will begin with you this summer.   We will announce a series of public meetings, of our Board, Advisory Committees and constituents, to paint the picture of the future, after a 20-year old arts and heritage revenue source slides into the sunset.  This is not an idle exercise.

Jim Kelly

PS – In the event in the final hours of the extended 2010 legislative session a bill is passed to secure future lodging tax funding for arts and heritage in King County, please disregard the above.

To me, one of the most enjoyable aspects of the work of 4Culture is its comprehensive approach to the breadth of what we call “culture.” Culture embodies more than the arts, including public art, and local history, the focus of our heritage program. It includes science and zoos and natural history and the ethnic traditions of a diverse society and so much more.

Culture also embraces historic preservation, a little understood field of endeavor that recognizes the value of saving the significant structures that tell the story of a community’s past. For instance, very few people today are members of a fraternal society, but our landscape is dotted with aging fraternal lodges that remind us of the methods of social engagement from our not too distant past. In many rural communities in King County, these lodges are important community gathering places, active reminders of the importance of social interaction. They may have small performances occasionally; they may have interpretive displays about the important people and events in a community’s history, but they are not commonly owned by arts organizations or heritage organizations. They do not typically apply to our Arts or Heritage Cultural Facilities programs (which regularly provide support for preservation projects that are also arts and heritage facilities.)

4Culture has two funding programs that provide capital support to maintain these significant community assets, no matter what kind of use goes on inside. These can include historic farmsteads, train stations, ships, privately-owned residences, gardens, and even churches. The Landmarks Rehabilitation Program and Landmark Challenge Grants are two 4Culture preservation programs – and the only such programs in King County – that provide “bricks and mortar” funding for these kinds of preservation projects.

The stewards of these structures that are important to all of use deserve help with the extra expense involved in maintaining them, regardless of how they are used or who owns them.

The Washington Trust for Historic Preservation, our statewide advocacy group, maintains a Most Endangered List – a roster of historic resources of all sorts that face a myriad of threats. Right here in King County are five properties on the current list, including the brick buildings at Sandpoint Naval Station, the little Nuclear Reactor Building on the UW campus, the modernist Surrey Downs subdivision in Bellevue, the iconic P-I globe, and the old Homestead Restaurant at Alki. The Trust is now accepting nominations for the 2010 list, deadline March 15.

It will take much more than a small grant to resolve these complicated preservation issues and others like them, but we are pleased to be able to offer strategic assistance when the time is right.

Like all organizations, the recession has taken a toll on 4Culture’s revenue stream. 4Culture’s funding programs and levels of giving to the field are highly dependent on King County lodging taxes. Nationally, the hotel/motel industry is mired in the worst downturn in 50 years. On average, lodging occupancy is down 20% in 2009 compared to 2008. Seattle fares a little better than many communities, but occupancy is still down by 17%. Room rates are lower, further eroding revenues.

In the Helicon Collaborative study produced in February of this year, our constituents in the field strongly recommended that funders be candid about keeping “grantees up to date on the options funders are considering and the allocation decisions they are making.”

So here goes:

4Culture will potentially have a 1.5 million dollar gap in our funding sources in 2010. We’ve been able to track the lodging tax returns and were able to anticipate this beginning last spring. We’ve been strategizing ever since. We took a good look at our administrative budget, and were able to cut many costs earlier this year. By doing so, are currently on track to underspend our approved 2009 operating expenses by a third this year, saving us approximately $250,000 that we can put toward next year’s programs. We also have tried to be strategic about investing staff time in efforts that could garner more funds for our constituents. For example, we applied for and received $250,000 in federal job stimulus funding to re-grant to our constituents in King County (beginning this year and going into next.) We recently made the decision to implement staff furloughs in 2010. Through this and a variety of other initiatives, we have identified an additional $250,000 we can apply toward the gap.

Even with all these efforts, we are still left with approximately 1 million less to distribute next year through our ongoing programs and have more choices to make. Our charter gives us a certain amount of flexibility with how much funding is allocated to specific programs. For example, we can preserve the amount of funding we have to offer in our arts and heritage operating support programs (sustained support) but by doing so, we will have to reduce our facility/equipment programs for the year. Another example: The arts program has one pool of money this is split between projects for groups and individuals. With fewer dollars, we’ll need to decide how much should go to individual artists and how much to groups who apply through this program.

Another question we’ve been weighing is: should we use reserves this year? Our reserves are interest income generated by the endowment we’ve been building since 2001, as mandated by state law. Unless the efforts to extend the use of lodging taxes for cultural programs is passed by the state legislature within the next three years future arts and heritage funding in King County will be entirely reliant on the funding generated from the endowment interest income. In other words, any reserves we use today will reduce the size of the endowment we may have to rely on after 2012, and reduce future funding.

The 4Culture Board has some decisions to make in the next month as we finalize the 2010 budget. Faced with trimming our programs, we have been turning to our citizen volunteer advisory committees to help guide us in how to prioritize funds for next year. (And of course, if you have thoughts to contribute, feel free to comment on the comments field below.) In the past, the board has chosen to prioritize and maintain steady levels operating support, and preserve funding for individual artists when times are tough. For the heritage community, we remain committed to funding Collections Care and Sustained Support. We will offer the Landmark Challenge grants in our preservation program at the same level as 2009. We may choose to postpone the deadline for Cultural Facilities Program, which would typically occur in January. The board also recently renewed a resolution stating that “the extension of the lodging tax to support cultural programs in King County is the highest priority of 4Culture.” This gives them the authority to continue to advocate on behalf of the field in the coming year with the goal of strengthening the revenue stream for cultural programs into the future.

The recession is affecting all of us, grantors and grantees. But this will pass as the economy recovers, which it will. In the end, we are likely to be stronger, leaner, more efficient, but in the meantime, know we are as passionate about of missions, programs and services as ever.

We will endure.

Jim Kelly

Are You Prepared?

• In 2001, the Nisqually earthquake caused over $51.2 million in damage to area businesses. (Source: U.S. Small Business Administration)
• This last winter, a snow storm caused widespread power outages, transportation issues, lost revenue, and business closures, including performance cancellations at local arts and cultural organizations.
• This coming winter, if the Green River floods as a result of problems with the Howard Hanson Dam, thousands of residents and businesses could face as much as $2 billion to $3 billion in property damage. (Source: Seattle Times)
• Over the summer, the World Health Organization declared the H1N1 virus to be a pandemic based on its broad geographic reach and it’s expected to return this fall. (Source: pnwlocalnews.com)

Nonprofit cultural organizations in King County attract 13 million visitors annually to theaters, museums, science centers, and events. Last winter’s relatively mild snowstorms clearly demonstrated that most groups, already suffering from strained resources, are not well-equipped to manage a significant emergency event.

In response, you are invited to participate in an upcoming two-hour seminar on emergency preparedness. This seminar is hosted by Seattle University, in partnership with ArtsFund, 4Culture, the Mayor’s Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs, and Public Health-Seattle & King County.

You will learn about personal and business applications of basic emergency preparedness as well as how to better prepare for potential crisis scenarios, including snowstorms, earthquakes, floods, and public health emergencies.

As the manager of one of the area’s largest groups said, “The economic downturn has burned through a lot of our financial and human resources. We’re fragile. A blow like H1N1 could be devastating.”

Are you prepared?

Date: Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Time: 2 – 4pm
Location: Pigott Auditorium – Seattle University Campus, 901 12th Avenue
Registration: Please RSVP
Contact Info: Kevin Maifeld, maif...@seattleu.edu

Were you prepared for the snows last year? Did you have an effective way to communicate with ticket buyers about the status of your productions? Did your staff know whether or not to report to work in the case of extreme weather?

Now is the time to prepare for the next disaster. You can’t turn on the news today without hearing about the spread of H1N1 virus, commonly known as swine flu. And, if you live or work in south King County, you are hearing about the potential failure of the 40-year old Howard Hanson Dam and the severe flooding that could occur throughout the lower Green River Valley, affecting Auburn, Kent, Renton and Tukwila.

I attended a meeting this morning with a number of key leaders in the cultural community. We are sufficiently concerned about the need for emergency preparedness that we are convening a meeting at Seattle University (tentatively scheduled for October 21st from 2 – 4pm *SEE UPDATE BELOW*) for arts and heritage workers to learn more about how to better prepare for the next emergency. We will be joined by experts from King County Public Health and Emergency Management who will help us develop plans to deal with whatever comes next. I’ll update this blog post when we have the date confirmed. Please check back for further information.

All cultural organizations should have plans to deal with emergencies. In preparation for possible winter flooding in south King County, 4Culture is already removing portable artwork from the Regional Justice Center in Kent, and spreading the word to cultural organizations about resources that may be available to them to be safe and prepared to preserve their facilities and collections.

I must admit that 4Culture was not as prepared to deal with last December’s storms as I thought we were, resulting in staff and constituent confusion about whether our downtown Seattle office was open.

The storm was a wake-up call, but relatively speaking, may be a minor event in view of the health hazard presented by a swine flu pandemic. As many of you know, H1N1 is expected to affect 30%-50% of the population.

Is your organization prepared for snow, flood, flu and other potential disasters? Now is the time to make plans. I hope you will join us for the meeting later this month. If you can’t make it, here are a couple of links to information about how to prepare:

Flood

H1N1

Jim Kelly

P.S. Thanks to Dwight Gee, Kevin Maifield, David Brown, Elaine Cummins and Kevin Hughes for their efforts to make sure we survive the next calamity, which we hope will never come.

Pig photo courtesy of Brent and MariLynn on flickr

UPDATE (10/15/09):

The Emergency Prep Meeting is set for Wednesday, October 21, 2009, 2 – 4pm.
You can read more in this recent blog post
Location: Pigott Auditorium – Seattle University Campus, 901 12th Avenue
Registration: http://prepared.eventbrite.com/
Contact: Kevin Maifeld at maif...@seattleu.edu